


In the Starlight

by DraSuuh



Series: Road to McSpirk [2]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: (no cheating going on tho), First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, No beta we die like redshirts, Pre-McKirk too really, Pre-McSpirk, background Spirk, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25883059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraSuuh/pseuds/DraSuuh
Summary: McCoy had felt a bit awkward when Kirk had invited him to a week of shore leave at the isolated cabin rather than Spock, but the Vulcan was apparently insistent that he was not in need of a vacation and, truth be told, it was nice to be spending time with Jim without feeling like a third wheel.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy, James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Series: Road to McSpirk [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878220
Comments: 12
Kudos: 98





	In the Starlight

_That’s how he always looks_ , McCoy thought, brushing off the _look_ Jim had given him when he asked if he wanted to go stargazing. And he was smiling a lot because they were on shore leave. A particularly nice shore leave; a class M planet empty of native intelligent life that the Federation had colonized just fifty years ago. Still so much unspoiled nature, though he worried that the recent trend of vacationers like them would ruin that. There was already some evidence of such in the very existence of the small cabin they were staying in — “rustic” themed but with modern Federation technology under the real wood surfaces making sure of modern comforts; situated far enough from the main village (almost a city now) for a feeling of seclusion, but not so far as for there to be any worry of becoming stranded.

For now, it was perfect. McCoy had felt a bit awkward when Kirk had invited him to a week of shore leave at the isolated cabin rather than Spock, but the Vulcan was apparently insistent that he was not in need of a vacation and, truth be told, it was nice to be spending time with Jim without feeling like a third wheel.

Here they were, then, walking side by side under the light of the moon towards a clearing McCoy knew was a little way off. He didn’t notice the way Jim kept sneaking glances at him, still smiling. The trees began to thin out and soon the path opened into a meadow. In the darkness the flowers that dotted it, brightly colored by day, looked stark white against the dark grey background of the grass.

Jim briefly took hold of the doctor’s hand to pull him to a spot in the middle of the field where he let go and flung himself down onto the soft grass. McCoy smiled and lowered himself onto the ground next to him. The rested in companionable silence for a few minutes before Kirk broke it.

“You know, I know we see the stars all the time on the ship, but there’s something about looking at them like this — planet-bound, lying down surrounded by nature — that’s special.”

“I know what you mean,” McCoy replied. “‘Specially what with the lack of light pollution. Few places on Earth you can see stars like this nowadays.”

“Mm.” Kirk moved his gaze from the sky to his friend’s profile, bathed in the soft light of the moon and stars. “You know, you look beautiful like this,” he said softly. McCoy’s started, but gathered himself together well enough to answer wryly: “What, in the dark?”

“No!” Jim laughed, “in the moonlight!”

McCoy turned his head to the side to look at him, bemused. Jim just continued to smile at him.

“Your eyes are practically glowing.” The doctor searched his brain for a response to this unexpected compliment from his friend and captain, but coming up short, he settled for a ‘harrumph’ and just felt grateful for the low light hiding his flushed cheeks. Thankfully, the next time Jim spoke he returned to more ordinary subjects, upon which they stayed for the rest of the outing.

—

The days of shore leave passed too quickly, considering they spent them mostly doing a whole lot of pleasant nothing. The last four nights had been cloudy, but now a brisk wind from the south had blown the clouds away and the stars once more invited the two men out to the field.

A new moon this time, and the stars shone even brighter in the sky above them. It was peaceful, but as they left the cabin McCoy had an odd feeling. Last time they’d done this, Jim had been acting decidedly weird. Back there now, laying once again on the soft grass, Kirk and McCoy wavered between comfortable silence and idle conversation about everything and nothing, the kind of conversation that often flows between people who know each other well. McCoy had forgotten all about his earlier wary thoughts about Jim’s behavior.

Until, after a pause and a small chuckle…

“This is downright romantic, Bones.” Dammit, he was at it again.

“Sorry you’re stuck with me instead of Spock,” McCoy said, with an almost bitter smile that Jim couldn’t see.

“Don’t be. I’m not.” Jim reached for his friend’s hand in the darkness and, when he found it, he placed their hands palm against palm and gripped lightly. McCoy wasn’t quite sure what to say or do, so he didn’t. Kirk let a minute go by before his most perplexing statement yet — not a statement at all, in fact, but a question:

“Can I kiss you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Seems a waste of the atmosphere not to.” His voice was confident, but if the other man could have seen his face properly it would have betrayed a significant amount of nervousness. Both men, in fact, were simultaneously feeling both gratefulness for the darkness hiding their expressions and a desperate wish that they could see that of the other.

“I…” McCoy swallowed and tried to steady his voice. What the hell, Jim? “What ab—“ he began, but Kirk cut him off, anticipating his question.

“Spock won’t mind.”

“Are you gonna give me some bullshit about Vulcans not feelin’ jealousy?”

“Not quite. Her wouldn’t mind because it’s _you_.” McCoy couldn’t help but let some bitterness seep into his bark of a laugh.

“Yeah, I guess I’m not much of a threat, am I?”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Bones.” Again he was left without a proper answer, so he just said one word.

“…Fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yeah, fine. You can kiss me.” He continued to stare straight up at the stars and tried not to clench his jaw.

“…Okay.” Jim released the hand he held in order to lift himself up on his elbow and lean over McCoy. He hovered mere inches above him, eyes flickering over his face. Then Jim put his free hand to the doctor’s cheek and kissed him softly. It was quick as kisses go, but just a few moments too long to be described as a peck. He brushed his thumb along McCoy’s cheekbone, then quickly returned to his former position on the grass before his expression could potentially be read in the close proximity.

An awkward silence prevailed for a good three minutes — minutes which felt like hours. Finally, McCoy cleared his throat and spoke:

“Well… did that satisfy your whim?” Now it was Jim’s turn for a bitter smile. If only his Bones knew how inaccurate a word ‘whim’ was for his desire to kiss him. How to respond without showing his cards?

“Hm,” was his obfuscatory reply. McCoy waited for him to say something else, maybe something that would cut the awkwardness, but, rather unfairly, Jim seemed to be leaving them both to their own thoughts.

His thoughts… how could he think of anything but what had just happened? There was something about the kiss. Something a little off. Well, it was a little “off” that Jim had kissed him in the first place, but it was something more than that. The kiss was too… soft? No, that wasn’t the right word. It would have been weird if it _hadn’t_ been soft. It had been… tender. That was it.

It was _tender_.

Kirk did finally break the silence, just when McCoy was beginning to feel like he was going to have to scream soon, suggesting that they headed back to the cabin. There was some awkwardness that night, prompting the doctor to retire to bed early, but when he finally hauled himself out of bed the next morning and made his way to the kitchen to get coffee, he was greeted by a cheerful “morning, Bones,” and an entirely normal-acting Jim. As the day went on, he continued to say nothing of the night before, and McCoy gratefully followed that lead. Funny — this seemed to be becoming a bit of a habit.

The last few days of their vacation passed without incident, and If in those last few days Jim seemed to somehow be smiling at him even more… well, they _were_ on shore leave. Right?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of McKirk from the fluff factory that is my brain, sorry I haven't gotten the boys together yet. It'll happen, I promise.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at paradoxymora.tumblr.com!


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